Method and construction for storing motor vehicles



Sept. 11, 1928.

E. H. WHITE METHOD AND CONSTRUCTION FOR STORING MOTOR VEHICLES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1927 Patented 5cm. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES EDWIN H. WHITE, 01? NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD AND CONSTRUCTION FOR STORING MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed March 18, 1927. Serial No. 176,306.

This invention relates to a system and a construction for the storage ofmotorvehicles particularly adapted for use 1n large cities in order thatthe floor space in a building of predetermined size may be used in abuilding to quickly and conveniently store a maximum number of vehicleson each floor in. a short space of time, and to deliver such vehiclesreadily from any point in the building on short notice.

An object of the invention resides 1n pro viding a system of storingmotor vehicles in which a system of pockets are arranged throughout aplurality of floors or decks of a building structure, one above theother, having an annular passageway communicating with the entrance ofthe pockets on each deck with suitable elevators for carrying vehiclesfrom the bottom of the building. to the annular passageways in each ofsaid decks so that they may be convementlyconveyed in such passagewaysto successlvely fill the pockets. in a predeternnned manner, in whichevery vehicle will be accessible for independent delivery to a point ofentrance of the building. I

A further object of the invention resides in providing a buildingconstruction having a plurality of floors or decks, each div ded toprovide a series of adjacent and radially arranged pockets, with respectto an annular movable storage section on each floor or deck, adapted toconvey vehicles to each stationary pocket on the floor from suitableelevators communicating at one or more points with each of the annularmovable sections of each floor, in order to permit of ready access beingobtained to any vehicle so that it may independently be stored in anypredetermined pocket. and removed therefrom through the same elevatorand entrance. in a short space of time. I

The invention further includes the special features of construction ofthe several parts by which the annular passageway can be used for themost partas a storage space as well as for conveying motor vehicles fromthe pockets on the floor of the building communicating therewith. to asuitable elevator which includes a suitable means adapted for rotatingthe vehicles on the elevator. to retain them thereon in one position.and which is operable to allow the vehicle to gravitate off of theelevator in another position. in order that the vehicles may be quicklyand expeditiously handled in a short space of time for storing anddelivery from any storing space to' the entrance of the building.

The invention comprehends the numerous other objects residing in thespecific details of construction and arrangement of the parts, forcarrying out the invent-ion, all of which are more particularly pointedout in the following description in detail, and the claims directed tothe preferred-system and construction for the building, it beingunderstood, however, that various changes in the size. shape andarrangement of the parts and the specific system may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein setforth.

In the drawings forming part of this application v Figure 1 isahorizontal sectional view thru a building constructed in accordance withthe invention. showing a part of the structure of one of the upperfloors in whichthe vehicles are stored and portions of which are brokenaway to show the details of construction for operating the annularmovable storage and conveying member, as well as showing theconstruction of the main floor, in which the management, and operationfor the building is handled.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the portion of the buildingtaken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.showing particularly. the details of construction of the elevator forthe building.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a portion of one edge of the elevatorillustrating the construction of the support and movable vehiclecarrying platform which is constructed to permit the tilting of theplatform in discharging the vehicle from the elevator.

1 indicates the outer wall structure of the building which has a groundfloor 2 and a plurality of upper floors 3. Each of the upper floors ordecks of the building are formed to provide a central circular floorportion 4 and an outer floor portion 5 having the inner edge terminatingin spaced concentric relation with respect to the central portions 4.Between the peripherv of the central portion 4 of each floor and theinner annular edge of the outer portion 5 there is mounted a ring-shapedmovable floor section 8.

A ring-shaped track supporting member 7 is mounted in spaced relationabove the bottom floor 2 on suitable supporting pillars or ill posts 8,and support the annular track section 9 on which rides the supportingrollers 10, rotatably mounted in the brackets 11, carried by the movablefloor section 6 of the first floor above, for rotatably supporting saidfloor section 6 in the horizontal plane of the sections 4 and 5 of thesecond floor.

The movable floor section 6 is provided with a plurality of adjacentpairs of track grooves 12 spaced apart a distance equal to the treadspacing of the wheels of a motor vehicle, so that a plurality ofvehicles may be mounted and supported in these grooves 12 in adjacentrelation for storage on the movable floor section, or for conveyancefrom one position in the building to another.

Between each pair of track grooves 12 are mounted posts 13 which supportthe ring sections 14 which with the floor section 6 forms what ishereafter termed as a movable or rotatable storage and conveyor memberThis structure is duplicated each floor, above the first floor of thebuilding. and the ring section 14 of the conveyor member on one floor,carries the track section 15 on which run the rollers 10 carried by thefloor sections 6 of the floor next above, so that each of the combinedconveyor and storage members is supported one above the other, and uponeach other in superimposed relation for independent relative rotativemovement.

The ring member 14: for each of these members carries at its inner edgeportion, an annular rack member 16, with which meshes the pinion 17 ofthe drive motor 18. The drive motor 18 is mounted on the central sectionl of each floor and on the under side thereof for driving the storageand conveyor member for the floor below, as clearly illustrated in Fig.2.

The outer portions 5 of each floor beginning with the second floor andprogressing 7 upwardly, are formed with pairs of track grooves 19 inradial relation to the conveyor members which are each adapted toreceive the wheels of motor vehicles to be stored in this portion of thebuilding, which are moved onto the floor portions 5 from the rotatableconveyor members of the floor for storage purposes.

The central portion 4 of each floor is also used for storage purposes,and may or may not be provided with groove tracks for receiving motorvehicles stored thereon from the rotatable conveyor member of theparticular floor. m

At a plurality of points, which is shown in Fig. 1, each of the floorsections 5 adjacent to the conveyor members are formed with verticallyaligned openings 20 in the corner portions of which extend the verticalguides 21, and provide an elevator well at each quarter section of thebuilding. The guide rails 21 slidably receive the elevator carriageframe 22 which has suitable elevating ca- Lessee"? bles 23 secured inthe corner portions there. of, so that the frame may be raised to anydesired position of the guides throughout the height of the building byany suitable elevating mechanism now used and well known in the art. I i

The central portion of this frame 22 is formed with a bearing 23 for thestud 24 having the upper end pivot-allymounted in the rotatable platform25. This platform is provided with track grooves 26 to receive thewheels of motor vehicles, and is counterbalanced at 27 so as to normallyretain the platform in a horizontal position.

The carriage 22 has the rim portion thereof formed with a depression 27at the side positioned adjacent to the center of the build- 'ing and inradial alinement therewith. The

lower face of the platform carries at the periphery thereof, suitablesupporting and guide rollers 28 sliding on the rim portion of the frame22, so that when one of these rollers is positioned over the depressionformed in the rim of the carriage 22, the platform may be tilted on thetwo rollers having the axis at right angles thereto.

This construction is made so that when the trackways 26 of the platform25 are in radially alined position with the trackways 12 in any oneofthe rotatable conveyor members, the weight of a motor vehicle may beused for tilting the platform so that the inclination will cause thevehicle to gravitate from the elevator onto the conveyor rings.

In this way, by suitable control means, motor vehicles may be elevatedto any floor, and the platform 25 rotated to bring the forward andheavier end of the vehicle-to position so that it will be adjacent tothe conveyor ring with the roller 28 positioned over the depression 27,as a result of which, the platform will tilt and the vehicle willgravitate from the elevator onto the adjacent conveyor memher. Thispermits of the vehicles entering the elevator from any one of threepositions, while they are always elevated in a position in which theaxis of the vehicle, or the length of the vehicle is positioned in aplane parallel with the walls of the building during the elevation, andwhen it is desired to discharge the same from the elevator, it is turnedso that it will be in a position in radial alinement with the trackwaysof the conveyor members.

. Suitable cushioning springs 29 are positioned at the bottom of eachelevator shaft in the usual manner to cushion the motion of the elevatorcarriage at the bottom of the shaft.

The lower floor of one side of the building, which will be the front, isformed preferably with three entrance openings, as indicated at 30 forvehicles to be stored in the central one of which will lead directlyinto the elevator at the front, of the building and in alincd relationwith the openings.

The openings at the opposite sides of the center will permit of vehiclesentering the building for passing to the other three elevators shown, sothat a pluralitv of vehicles can be handled in storage and deliverysimultaneously and expeditiously with the use of this construction.

The entire first floor of the building will be open and no vehicles willbe stored therein, as it will be used for making minor repairs, oiling,and washing of the vehicles, when owners thereof desire this service, orother minor services and adjustments which may be necessary and can bemade during the period of time that the vehicle is left stored.

The keeping of the first floor free and open, also permits of the readyshifting of the vehicles, from one elevator to another to be stored onthe floors above and in maneuvering the same to enter or leave theentrance openings 30.

In using a building construction of this character, for the storage ofmotor vehicles, it will be understood that vehicles enter as abovedescribed through the opening 30. The operators of the building, willthen receive the vehicle for storage from the owner desiring suchservice, providing proper checking and. identification means, so that itmay be delivered upon presentation of such identification and paymentfor the storage.

The operators of this garage or storage building will then take chargeof the vehicle and place it on any one of the elevators, 1n a position,so that its length will be at right angles to the track grooves in theconveyors on the several floors or as indicated in full lines at theleft hand side of Fig. 1, whereupon thevehicle is elevated on the flooron which it is desired to store the same.

The platform 25 of the elevator, is then rotated to bring the trackgrooves 26 in alinemcnt with one pair of grooves 12 in the storage andconveyor member when the desired fioor is obtained, so that the frontend of the vehicle extends inwardly. As soon as the forward end reachesthis inward position, the roller 28 of the platform will register withthe groove 27 in the frame which will permit the vehicle to gravitate onthe storage and conveyor member for the particular floor.

At this .point, the elevator may then be lowered to the ground floor forthe next vehicle, while the rotatable storage and conveyor member may berotated to bring the grooves carrying vehicle in alinement with some ofthe grooves 19 of the floor portion 5, or any part of the centralsection 4 of the floor, and the vehicle moves from the conveyor memberonto a desired portion of the floor for storage.

It may also be left on the conveyor member for storage, as all of thegrooves thereon may be used for storage purposes except one or two,which will permit the shifting of the any vehicle on the floor which itmay be desired to store or remove from any storage space to anyelevator.

It will be seen that this elevating and storage operation may be carriedout with this construction and in accordance with this system, ofhandling the vehicles independently of one another, so that any vehiclein any storage pocket in the entire building may be obtained on shortnotice and readily conveyed in a convenient manner to one of theelevators, and delivered onto the first floor. In this way. a vehiclemay be stored or it may be delivered from its stored position in anyposition in the building, in the space of about four minutes time fromthe time it is delivered or called for. This construction thereforepermits of the construction of a storage building for vehicles employingthis system of construction and operation, in whicha large number ofvehicles may be stored so that there will be no unused space or waste ofspace and that will still provide for the immediate access to any onevehicle in the buildmg.

It is furthermore to be clearly understood, that with the operation ofthe system and construction of this kind, a large number of vehicles canbe handled with a minimum number of employees thereby reducingconsiderably the operating expense of a storage warehouse.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In avehicle handling and storing structure, in combination, a buildingincluding a. floor having a rigid central section of disk- '-likeconfiguration, a rigid marginal section surrounding and disposed in aplane with said central section, said marginal section being spaced fromthe central section to provide an annular opening between the edges ofsaid sections, said marginal section being provided with individualpairs of radial grooves forming vehicle runways, said run ways beingcircumferentially spaced'apart, a turn table mounted for rotation insaid annular opening and disposed in a plane with said rigid floorsections and provided with circumferential grooves for reception of thevehicle wheels, an elevator including a travelling frame provided withan annular track having a depression formed therein, and a rotatablymounted platform disposed above said track and having rollers on itsbottom movable on the track and receivable in said depression, saidplatform being provided in its top with grooves adapted to aline withthe grooves in said turn table, said depression eing placed so that thegrooves on the platform can be alined with those on the turn table.

2. In a vehicle handling and storing structure, in combination, abuilding having a storage and conveyor member for receiving floor forstorage purposes including an annular turn table, said turn table havingcirrollers, whereby a predetermined set of cumferentially spaced radialgrooves for regrooves in the turn table, may be alined with ception ofthe vehicle Wheels, an elevator inthe depression, and whereby theplatform eluding a traveling frame provided with an may be rotated topermit a certain one of 6 annular track and a rotatably mounted plattherollers to fall into said depression, at 15 form disposed above saidtrack and prowhich time the grooves in the platform, will vided on itsbottom with rollers movable on be alined with the grooves in the turntable. the track and provided in its top with In testimony'whereof Iafiix my signature. grooves, said track having a depression formedtherein for receiving one of-said EDWIN H.1TE.

